MDNews - Central New Jersey

Morristown Medical Center has once again earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for its Spine Surgery and Joint Replacement (hip and knee) programs by demonstrating exceptional performance in fulfilling The Joint Commission's national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes the Atlantic Orthopedic Institute of Morristown Medical Center's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards in Total Joint Replacement and Spine Surgery. Morristown Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, underwent a rigorous on-site review on May 22 and 23. A Joint Commission expert evaluated the joint replacement and the spine care programs for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infec - tion prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. As the nation's healthcare system transi- tions to more integrated and patient-cen- tered care, hospitals are using information technology to better connect disparate care providers, according to the 16th annual Health Care's Most Wired 2014 Survey, conducted by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Trinitas Regional Medical Center has been recognized for the third consecutive year as a "Most Wired Hospital" and a leader in health information management for its commitment and prog- ress in information management. Health Care's Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, surveyed hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 680 surveys, representing 1,900 hospitals, or more than 30 percent of all U.S. hospitals. Atlantic Health System was named one of Health Care's Most Wired organizations for a fifth consecutive year, according to the results of a survey released in the July 2014 issue of Hospitals & Health Networks maga - zine, the journal of the American Hospital Association. The recognition follows several recent developments in information tech- nology throughout Atlantic Health System, including the launch of the organization's mobile health initiatives. Earlier this year, Atlantic Health System launched smartphone and tablet apps for each of its hospitals that will allow members of the public to better track and maintain their health, as well as quickly access hospital information and resources. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has been named one of the "Most Wired" organizations of 2014 by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. The annual Most Wired survey is designed to measure the level of information tech- nology (IT) adoption in U.S. hospitals and health systems. Both RWJUH's New Brunswick and Somerville campuses earned spots on the prestigious list. As one of the nation's "Most Wired" hos- pitals, RWJUH is leveraging the adoption and use of health IT to improve performance in a number of areas, according to Health Care's Most Wired Survey, released in July 2014. This includes adopting technologies to improve patient documentation, advance clinical deci - sion support and evidence-based protocols, reduce the likelihood of medication errors, and rapidly restore access to data in case of a disaster or outage. ■

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